Look into the "jeep steering shaft" mod to eliminate the rag joint, and its a bit thinner, which gives a LITTLE more wiggle room in header/manifold clearance... and gets rid of any slop the rag joint may have.

The S10 shafts changed over the years, jeep shafts changed over the years, there are mild mods that can be done (cutting shorter or notching for a set screw)... so just do a lot of research and do this cheap easy mod while you are in there.

OK so I finally found a cheap used engine for my swap. But now that it's time for me to start buying parts, it seems like I have forgotten a lot of the info I used to know pretty readily.
basics: 96 ex cab 2wd 4.3 5spd.
I have a 96 L31 Vortec 5.7 to swap in.
I want to keep the transmission in it's existing location. I know 2.8 frame pads are mandatory, but what engine mounts should I use?

To keep A/C functional, what direction should I be going as far as radiator mount locations and engine driven fan vs. electric?
If elec. which one should I be using?

Keep in mind budget is VERY small so cost is a very big obstacle.

Take a trip over to V8S10.org and check out the stickies for each section involving the swap. The best mounts are full size clamshells and they will put the engine right where it needs to be when used with the recommended adapters and headers. They come in different mounting height to suit your needs. Recess the radiator into the core support for extra clearance. V6 Explorer fans including the clutch are about an inch thinner than an s10 fan. You can see a comparison at JTR.